"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
-- Sinclair Lewis

Saturday, June 25, 2016

How Many Republican Congressional Careers Can Trumpy The Clown Kill By November?

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I don't expect we'll see many ads as blatantly anti-Trump from Republican incumbents as the one above from Mark Kirk's campaign. I suppose he's gambling that any Trump die-hards who are so outraged by it that they won't vote for him, will be more than made up for by Illinois' independents. I don't think Trump has responded yet. Maybe no one has mentioned it to him or even told him Mark Kirk is a Republican senator.Trump knows Rubio, though. And it must infuriate him that Rubio is being negative about him again-- even if he's finally stopped making fun of Trump's deformed penis. Hillary is favored to win in Florida-- and win big [Quinnpiac found Hillary ahead 47-39%]-- and, instead of helping, Rubio says he won't campaign with Trump in his home state. He told CNN that he's not "looking to undermine him, but I think the differences between us on key issues are so significant that I just don't plan to campaign-- I've got to run my own race." Earlier he was encouraging Floridians to vote for him so he could stand up against either of the two unpalatable presidential candidates.Dan Friedman speculated for Fortune readers that a big Trump loss in Florida could undo Rubio’s senate reelection bid. Rubio, he wrote, "may have briefly looked like the Republican frontrunner last winter, but today he is just one of several endangered Republican incumbents whose reelection chances will fall further as Trump’s numbers drop." Jennifer Duffy, a Senate specialist for the Cook Political Report that "if Trump gets blown out in Florida, it will be a whole lot harder for Rubio to win. And like his colleagues, he will be answering for everything Trump says and does."

Trump’s big win in Rubio’s home state of Florida in March forced the Republican senator out of the presidential contest. Now that Rubio has reversed his oft-repeated claim that he would not seek a second Senate term, a big Trump loss may undo Rubio’s second 2016 campaign.

The incumbent Republicans trying hardest to work out strategies that offend the least number of Trump backers while shielding themselves from Trump's toxicity are Ron Johnson in strongly anti-Trump Wisconsin, Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire, Rob Portman in Ohio, Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, John McCain in Arizona, Richard Burr in North Carolina, Chuck Grassley in Iowa, even Arkansas' John Boozman and Missouri's Roy Blunt.Democratic House candidates see the opportunity Trump presidents as well. Duwayne Gregory, the Long Island progressive head of the Suffolk County legislature is running for the South Shore seat held by Trump endorser Peter King and Gregory is making that support a key part of the election debate. Yesterday he sent out an e-mail asking Long Islanders to "Say “NO” to Donald Trump and any candidate who supports him!"

Peter King and Donald Trump sounded exactly the same last week in the wake of the tragedy in Orlando. They both made outrageous accusations, jumped to false conclusions, and continued spreading offensive rhetoric against minorities, especially Muslim-Americans. It’s clear why Peter King won’t stand up to Trump-- because he agrees with him!We deserve a representative who shares our values and won’t shy away from denouncing Trump’s bigotry. Join me in taking the pledge: I will vote against Donald Trump and any candidate who supports him!Donald Trump is the most outrageous and bigoted presidential candidate in decades, and it’s vital that Democrats hold strong against him and any Republicans that support him this year.Last week, Trump repeated his calls for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. and even suggested Secretary Clinton and President Obama were involved with and responsible for the attack in Orlando. Republicans, including Peter King, fell in line and started echoing his baseless and offensive pronouncements.Republicans who refuse to denounce Trump’s racism, sexism, xenophobia, and insulting behavior do not deserve to serve their community in elected office. And that includes Peter King.

State Senator Ruben Kihuen won a hard-fought primary and is now the official Democratic Party challenger to right-wing Republican Cresent Hardy in a huge Nevada district that leans Democratic. Policy-wise, he sees Hardy and Trump as two peas in a pod. Last night he told us that "Hardy can't run from Donald Trump because they agree on so many issues-- and perhaps the most shameful is their shared contempt for people with disabilities. Trump has viciously mocked a reporter for his disability, while Congressman Hardy thinks the disabled are "a drain on society." This is wildly out of step with the values of Nevadans." Help the good guys, like Duwayne and Ruben replace the bad guys... by clicking on the good guys thermometer below: